Russell Simmons Reprimands Jay-Z for Occupy Stance

Hip Hop business man and mogul Russell Simmons is calling out Jay-Z for refusing to understand the Occupy Wall Street movement.

In a letter published in Uptown Magazine, Simmons tries to convince the rapper how powerful and influential he can be to the poor if he supported the Occupy movement.

The former Def Jam Records executive explained how he took daily trips to Zuccotti Park, the home-base for Occupy Wall Street to talk to protesters about topics including healthcare reform, a lack of access to affordable higher education, gay rights and immigration reform.

He described how impactful the grass-roots campaign has been in using untraditional methods of organizing and protesting as a united front.

“The months during the height of the beginning of the movement were unlike anything we had seen before in our nation,” Simmons said. “A protest led by no one, but always led by leaders. Organized through social media, yet no organization at the forefront. This was a true people’s campaign.”

One by one, Simmons listed the ways Wall Street has destroyed the democracy and described how that has affected the political landscape. He even explains how the money passed from lobbyists and corporations has been used to influence politicians in regards to legislation.